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Danica on 2012 Daytona pole, Dale Jr. will win itUPDATE #4 A reader writes, Dear AR1.com, It's me again, Mordichai Rosen. More proof the Nationwide race grid was computer generated - Danica Patrick's car was supposed to be so fast, her so talented, she was on pole right? Well when they got racing she fell back like a lead sinker. NASCAR is going to make a hero out of her one way or another. This is all about TV ratings, ticket sales, merchandise sales, i.e. money. Mordichai Rosen, waiting for Dale Jr. to win on Sunday to make my entire prediction come true - NASCAR needs to come out of the gate strong.

02/24/12 A reader writes again, Dear AR1.com, Did you see that Danica got the pole for the nationwide race at Daytona? They knew giving her the pole for the 500 would have been too obvious, so they put her on the pole for the Nationwide race. Another computer generated NASCAR grid. They will make her a hero one way or the other. NASCAR is a marketing machine and an entertainment business first and foremost. A sport? Well that would be a stretch. Mordichai Rosen, Los Angeles, CA.

02/04/12 A reader writes again, Dear AR1.com, Since I started this rumor back in August I thought I would send you an update. Now that Danica Patrick and NASCAR are taking the heat for her team buying her way into the Daytona 500, I expect that the NASCAR Timing and Scoring computers will put her on pole for the Daytona 500 so they can say, 'see she deserved it.' With no transponders in the cars what comes up on the NASCAR Timing & Scoring computer screens must be taken as gospel. Who can challenge them when all you have is a stop watch in your hand, which is not accurate enough? My theory is that NASCAR has been computer generating the pole for years. Makes for good publicity for a new sponsor, a team in need of a sponsor, or a local driver in the track market to sell tickets on Sunday. Mordichai Rosen, Los Angeles, CA.

08/24/11 Danica Patrick will make her debut in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series in the 2012 Daytona 500, the Observer and ThatsRacin.com have learned.

Patrick is scheduled to make an announcement at noon Thursday in Phoenix, where she will formally announce a fulltime move to NASCAR beginning next season, multiple sources have confirmed.

Patrick’s fulltime move to NASCAR in 2012 has been widely reported over the last several weeks, but her Cup debut has so far remained unknown.

While Patrick does not plan to run a full Cup schedule until 2013, she will do eight to 10 Cup races next year with Stewart-Haas Racing, beginning with the Daytona 500, a source familiar with the announcement said Wednesday night.

Patrick, a fan favorite in the IndyCar Series, has made three starts at Daytona in the Nationwide series, with a best finish of 10th coming last month. She also 13 laps in that race.

Patrick will run her Nationwide schedule, as she has the past two seasons, with JR Motorsports and all Cup races will be run out of SHR. GoDaddy.com will sponsor all of Patrick’s NASCAR races, sources said.

08/21/11 A reader writes, Dear AR1.com, I can see it now, to help NASCAR's slumping popularity the computer generated Daytona pole qualifying will place Danica Patrick on pole, or at worse, outside front row and then "The Call" will go out for Dale Jr. to win the race.

I read at the Daytona Beach News Journal where Danica is expected to enter a select number of Sprint Cup Series events for Stewart-Haas Racing -- a team co-owned by driver Tony Stewart. One of those Cup races could be the season-opening Daytona 500.

"Two of the greatest things that could happen for our sport is if Danica Patrick runs the Daytona 500 and Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins it," Fox commentator Larry McReynolds said in a phone interview Friday afternoon from Michigan International Speedway, where the Sprint Cup Series is scheduled to race today.

If Patrick joins NASCAR full time, she's expected to make a major impact in many areas, including TV ratings and ticket sales.

So there you have it, the plan is already being baked. I remember when Dodge first came into NASCAR, very first race and they started the Daytona 500 1st and 2nd as a reward for Dodge joining NASCAR. When the green flag dropped they were dead last in about 5 laps or so. They never had the speed to win pole. Look at yesterday's Nationwide race in Montreal. Two Canadians on the front row. NASCAR has been computer generating grids for years, and with no transponders in the cars, teams could never prove otherwise. They just play along knowing NASCAR knows what to do to sell tickets. Mordichai Rosen, LA, California

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